Body found along highway in NLR

Police are investigating after a body was found Wednesday morning alongside U.S. 67/167 in North Little Rock.
(By Gavin Lesnick)
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NORTH LITTLE ROCK  Police are investigating Wednesday morning after the body of a 36-year-old man was found on the side of U.S. 67/167 in North Little Rock.

Arkansas State Police on the scene said a criminal investigation is just beginning, but they don't believe the victim - identified later as Alexander resident James David Hicks - was hit by a car.

Hicks' body was discovered about 7:15 a.m. on the right-hand shoulder of southbound U.S. 67 between the McCain Boulevard exit and the McCain Boulevard overpass. Authorities blocked the shoulder, taking photographs and investigating the scene for about two hours.

Pulaski County Coroner Gerone Hobbs said the body would be taken to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for further investigation, including an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Hobbs directed questions to state police, but he said the death "did not appear" to have been from a vehicle accident.

A state police investigator on scene declined to comment, directing questions to agency spokesman Bill Sadler.

"State Police CID Special Agents are continuing to investigate and the State Crime Laboratory is expected to provide to the agents a report listing cause and manner of death," Sadler said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

Traffic was slowed during the height of rush hour, but all the emergency vehicles had moved to the shoulder and traffic was restored to a normal pace at 8 a.m.